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All Episodes Talk: Under The Tent


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A place to discuss particular episodes, challenges and moments from the show's run. Please remember this isn't a complete catch-all topic -- check out the forum for personality topics and other places for show-related talk.

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I've watched the show since the first series and the winners have been fairly predictable for me which is something I like about these British cooking competitions.

 

In the S3 all male finale, I think Brendan was the favourite, but I was pulling for John. I like Brendan as a personality, but I didn't love most of his bakes. They were a bit too 70s for me, and I think John had some innovative things. In any case, I think that was one of my favourite seasons too.

  • Love 1
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While I kinda liked the travelling show that was season 1, I think I might have liked S4 best.  Or at least I remember thinking that I was OK with whomever won (even though I was kinda sick of Ruby by the end).    I've liked all seasons though. 

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Judging by the previous four series, sometime in mid August. It'll air on BBC One this year instead of the BBC Two.

According to Wikipedia, it will start on Wednesday August 6 and will have 12 contestants.

  • Love 3
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Anyone remember that infamous squirrel shot from a couple of years ago?!! I was eating my dinner at the time and almost choked, which didn't help but omg I haven't looked at a cute squirrel the same way since.....I'm still traumatised!! :O

  • Love 3
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Yes, I remember. I was like, "WTF?" when I saw it and then I read about all the complaints the Beeb got after it aired. It was just so random. What were the production team thinking?

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I'm new to the series - what was the squirrel shot?  Also, is each episode really filmed each weekend, and the bakers go home for weekdays?  How do the eliminated bakers keep the story from their family, do they practice for next week's challenge even though they're out, and go away for the weekend anyway? How much info on the upcoming challenges are the bakers given before-hand: I guess they don't know which specialty the next weekend will be, but since they're allowed to practice they must have some idea what's coming?  

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I'm new to the series - what was the squirrel shot?  Also, is each episode really filmed each weekend, and the bakers go home for weekdays?  How do the eliminated bakers keep the story from their family, do they practice for next week's challenge even though they're out, and go away for the weekend anyway? How much info on the upcoming challenges are the bakers given before-hand: I guess they don't know which specialty the next weekend will be, but since they're allowed to practice they must have some idea what's coming?  

 

During the 2011 finale, a shot of a squirrel with well endowed nuts was featured. The BBC received a lot of complaints about it. I didn't really see the big issue. It was a very quick shot, but amusing none the less.

 

Yes, all the bakers go home after the weekend is over. Since this is Britain, almost everyone is within a day's train ride away. 

 

I'm not sure about the family knowledge. It does seem the families and contestants sign Non-Disclosure agreements, but not sure if they go away for the weekend to show the pretence of it.

 

The contestants find out all 10 weeks worth of challenges in advance and give the producers all the recipes  early on. The food producer scrutinizes it because they need to get ingredients and machines prepared and organized in advance. The show uses a lot of food to produce the goods shown and they have to make sure every baker gets the best of everything.

 

The bakers are allowed to practice in advance (which I like since it shows their progression through the competition), but it does seem they just spend each week working on the Signature, Showstopper and possible technical challenges that could come up. Many of them still have day jobs or study so their lives still go on while they work on GBBO bakes. If they have time and they are sure they won't be eliminated, they could do their future weeks I guess. 

 

Hope this helps and welcome to watching the show with us!

  • Love 2
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While I kinda liked the travelling show that was season 1, I think I might have liked S4 best.  Or at least I remember thinking that I was OK with whomever won

 

Agreed, season 4 is definitely my favourite precisely because of that KILLER final 5 (same reason why season 2 is my second favourite). It was the first time I've ever watched a competitive reality show and felt honestly relaxed about the outcome because I'd be happy with whoever won (and I've watched a LOT of competitive reality shows). Conversely, though, while watching the quarterfinal, it was also kind of bittersweet because I didn't want any of them to leave. Although, after Frances was announced the winner, I realized I'd been secretly pulling for her all along. She was adorable.

  • Love 2
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I've become addicted to this show. I've tracked down the earlier seasons and am near the end of Series 3. I like how they give the histories of the different challenge foods.

 

I notice that Brits cook with rhubarb a lot. I've never seen or eaten rhubarb before.

  • Love 2
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I notice that Brits cook with rhubarb a lot. I've never seen or eaten rhubarb before.

 

Interesting that you've never even seen it. May I ask where you live? The growing season for rhubarb is quite small (about a couple months in the spring at most), but when it happens, you can get a good crop used primarily in desserts. It makes a nice pie I find. It is sharp so you need to add sugar.

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Yes you definitely need to add sugar to rhubarb it is exceptionally tart otherwise. Rhubarb & custard is/was a staple dessert growing up in the UK certainly during the 40's/50's/60's/70's; we even used to have R&C flavour sweeties. More often now it is used to make rhubarb crumble, which traditionally is served with custard but can also be eaten with cream or ice cream. Mr Stormm adores rhubarb crumble may I add!

  • Love 1
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I've lived in the Northeast and in the Chicago area and in both places (especially the NE), strawberry rhubarb pie is a pretty common thing. You even find it in supermarkets. One of those fruit matches, although rhubarb is a vegetable really, made in heaven.

  • Love 2
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I read somewhere that you need a cold season to grow rhubarb.  So that might be why some places have it and others don't.  I live in MN and its a big pie/cobbler filling here.  Most gardens have it since it is practically no care.

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I read somewhere that you need a cold season to grow rhubarb.  So that might be why some places have it and others don't.  I live in MN and its a big pie/cobbler filling here.  Most gardens have it since it is practically no care.

 

Yes, it's a cold season perennial. It does not survive well in hot, humid conditions. I think it's really very much a British favourite as it's not as popular in continental Europe either. It is a vegetable and it sorta melts down into a ooze which sounds naff, but is delicious for crumbles, jam, and pies. :)

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Rhubarb was pretty common in Massachusetts as a kid in the 80s, My Grandmother always used rhurbarb to make strawberries go further in a pie. I always think of rhubarb  pie with carnation 'evap' milk poured over, as that's what she did. She used to say using evaporated milk as a kind of pouring cream was the Irish way, but I think it was just hers.

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I'm power-watching in reverse series order, so I am almost to the series 4 finale. And I still like everyone. It's amazing to be so invested in the show, to practically hold my breath through judging, but not actively root for someone to win or go home. I might have favorites, but I want everyone to do well and only ever want someone to go home because they aren't at the level of everyone else. It's never "get off my TV screen."

 

Watching on YouTube is frustrating, though. There are weird gaps. For series 4, I have found every episode by two (2, 9) on the GBBO channel, and can't find those two anywhere. Really, I would pay to watch them all if they were available in the US. 

  • Love 1
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My horrible PBS station (fuck you, CPTV) has decided to show episodes 9 & 10 only on their back-up channels which aren't available to viewers without an antenna. They aren't on PBS video yet, either.

 

I cannot express how much I loathe CPTV and their routine bumping of shows all over the place and their cryptic "Members Choice" blocks where they don't tell you what's going to be shown. They are by far the worst PBS station I've ever encountered and it pisses me off that I can't watch NYC or Boston's stations instead.

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I live in Indiana, USA, and rhubarb is also common around here. When I was a kid, we used to eat it raw, dipping it in sugar before each bite. And also in pies, etc. One of my favorite fillings.

I love the difference in desserts, bread, and pastry between the UK and USA! The pie episodes are particularly fascinating to me, with the hot water crust and the filling. Australia also has great pies, but they're not really a thing in the States. Are they in Canada? Funny how the 20th century massive immigration influenced our food so much from our British roots!

  • Love 3
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I love the difference in desserts, bread, and pastry between the UK and USA! The pie episodes are particularly fascinating to me, with the hot water crust and the filling. Australia also has great pies, but they're not really a thing in the States. Are they in Canada? Funny how the 20th century massive immigration influenced our food so much from our British roots!

 

Hot water crust pastry is not common in Canada, but I've seen pork pies in a couple of old school bakeries. There are more recent (twentieth century) British emigrants to Canada so some of the British traditions have crossed over more so than in the USA.

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I'm glad I'm not the only frustrated one.  Not only are there gaps, but some of the videos aren't available (why don't they remove the thumbnail at the same time they remove the video?--a complaint I have about YouTube in general and not just this show).  I would watch the whole series if it were available.  I can find a bunch of books that feature recipes from the show but I don't want to bake; I just want to watch other people bake. 

This is embarrassing to admit, but I made myself a cheat sheet for episodes, in an effort to see them all (I have a terrible memory). I looked up how many episodes for each series on Wikipedia and wrote it out, so I can check them off as I watch. I'm even going to try to find all the extras. I also check back for the missing episodes, and I found a couple that were briefly back up.  

 

As I am working my way through old seasons of GBBO, I decided to give The Great British Sewing Bee a go. It's delightful as well, but just now as I was watching an episode featuring corsets with boning, I found myself imaging all the bawdy puns that Mel and Sue would be making. I love them. They didn't even have to grow on me. 

 

Then it's on to series 2 of GBBO!

  • Love 4
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This is embarrassing to admit, but I made myself a cheat sheet for episodes, in an effort to see them all (I have a terrible memory). I looked up how many episodes for each series on Wikipedia and wrote it out, so I can check them off as I watch. I'm even going to try to find all the extras. I also check back for the missing episodes, and I found a couple that were briefly back up.  

 

As I am working my way through old seasons of GBBO, I decided to give The Great British Sewing Bee a go. It's delightful as well, but just now as I was watching an episode featuring corsets with boning, I found myself imaging all the bawdy puns that Mel and Sue would be making. I love them. They didn't even have to grow on me. 

 

Then it's on to series 2 of GBBO!

 

You win the award for true dedication! 

 

Love it. :D

  • Love 1
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I've been binge watching the first few seasons, and got to the American Pie Showstopper Challenge, where Mr. Hollywood says that to make a great American pie, you've got to make it British.  Everyone kept complaining about the sweetness level of American pies.  What the hell, GB???  They don't bag on French/German/Swiss/Hungarian pastry like they did American pies, it was pretty hilarious.  And they didn't even use American pie tins, they just made tart shells!  

 

Not a single person even attempted an apple pie, which, in my mind, is the perfect balance of tart and sweet when it comes to American pie, but even then, our best pies are NOT always cloyingly sweet.  There was one person (a guy, forget his name) that did a sweet potato pie with a little pecan edge, with pecans at the bottom, flavoured with maple syrup, which both judges liked, but said it wasn't a real "showstopper."  These dingbats realize our pies are traditionally more rustic and less patisserie, right?  (I'm just kidding, Mary and Paul, love you mean it).  

  • Love 5
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I'm watching season 3 via YouTube and there's this one fellow hanging on like a barnacle. I believe his name is Stuart. He made a terrible Union Jack cake during hidden design week. He has consistently cut corners since.  There are always edits of Stuart, laughing at his stupid mistakes and getting by. Hollywood even warned him that he'd had major failings in weeks past and had to improve. He miraculously did a fine pie, but most everyone did. He's obnoxious.

 

I like Catherine fine. Perhaps the best of all the contestants in the season. She's a great baker and very humble, but everyone treats her like she's fragile. I am the same way, a bit.  While a confidence boost and/or sympathy is okay, simpering is not. It's condescending and bothersome.

 

I cut Sara Jane a break on not plaiting things in the presentation of the technical challenges. She just can't. She didn't lattice a pie crust and Hollywood really went after her. And I was like, "Guy, you already know she can't plait!" At least she slid her design off of parchment paper. Stuart (ugh) just lay his design on top of warm fruit.

Edited by AltLivia
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I just finished series 3 and I have to say Brendan was robbed.  He had good bakes all the way through. John wasn't even good at the beginning but people were worse than him or he would have been gone.   It wasn't fair!!

 

That being said I did notice that squirrel in series 1.  I got a big kick out of it.  I had to rewind a couple of times just to be sure.  As soon as I saw it I remembered the Great American Bake Off and people discussing in on that board.

 

What I have to say is that everybody looks a little messy for being on TV, especially the women (I'm looking at you Janet, series 2,moppy hair) 

  • Love 3
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I just watched the the very first episode, series 1 episode 1. Here are my random thoughts:

Interesting how they actually moved the tent to different places, that seems like an awful lot of trouble, I wonder why they decided to do that?

Too many women cooked with their hair hanging down.

Paul & Mary (she looks very different with glasses) stayed in the tent during the technical challenge, & they announced the top three winners first to third, then the bottom three.

I was surprised by 3 historical segments during the show, do they do that every week?

Also surprised that there were 2 eliminations (poor Mark, he's a cryer)

I don't remember them calling the last challenge the showstopper.

NO STAR BAKER!!!!!!

  • Love 1
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Wow, I'm watching episode 3 (bread week), & Paul is literally kneading someone's dough for them. They were having trouble, & he came over & showed them how to oil up their hands & do everything & he's demonstrating by actually doing the work. Things sure have changed since season 1.

  • Love 1
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I'm back. Just watched the first episode of series 2 & the show looks more like it does now. Paul is still fake bake free, & Mary is still in glasses, but there's a Star Baker, & the final challenge is called the Showstopper. Also, only one person was eliminated. Paul is still helping the contestants though, I still find that strange.

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I'm back again & I'm pissed. I'm going to put this in spoiler tag because a lot of people haven't seen this season yet.

Spoiler

Rob should have been eliminated weeks ago, he majorly screws up every week, & Paul has warned him many, many times, but he somehow kept skating through to the next round. Jason (who I've been rooting for) has one bad week, & he's gone. Even though it was a double elimination this week & Rob is finally gone, Jason should have been given the same amount of chances as Rob was. Jason was Star Baker twice, he out baked Rob every time& his elimination makes me angry.

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19 hours ago, kokapetl said:

Season 1 is best ignored. 

 

18 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

Good to know, thanks.

That sort of statement is inevitably an opinion, not a fact. I understand why it could be said, but my own opinion is that Season 1 is indeed disconcertingly different from later seasons, but to a devotee it can be fascinating and fun for that very reason. Clearly they were still figuring it out at that stage, and hadn't yet hit on the best way to handle all the elements. Still, the basic elements were there from the start, in however unfamiliar a form. 

My own mind is blown by how public it all was, with random strangers milling around outside the tent and peering in.

Edited by Rinaldo
  • Love 12
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I very much want to see the first seasons just to see the evolution of the show. I just love that the show went in the exact opposite direction of pretty much every other show out there. Instead of building up the manufactured drama, and focusing on the sob stories and annoying personalities, this show chose to focus on the quirkier personalities, the camaraderie and the drama that comes from actual baking. Sure you have the weather conditions from being in a tent and the time constrictions, but they are all facing the same challenge and the judges do seem to take that into consideration. IDK, I just love that the show chose to move into a more positive direction rather than a negative direction, so I'm curious how/where it started from. 

  • Love 6
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